The Ultimate Travel Company Brand Guidelines by Spinach Design, London.

T H E U L T I M AT E BRAND BOOK

An overview

04

H O W T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y T H I N K S 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9

Our brand An introduction Brand statement Brand vision Brand values What we are What we are not Our personality and characteristics Our clients Client profiles

H O W T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y L O O K S 2.0 Visual identity 2.1 Logo 2.2 Logo – colour and reproduction 2.3 Logo – scale and format 2.4 Logo – clear space and positioning 2.5 Our slogan 2.6 Fonts – usage 2.7 Fonts – typographic styling 2.8 Colours 2.9 Colours – primary 2.10 Colours – tints 2.11 Colours – secondary 2.12 Colours – special finishes 2.13 Photography – image style 2.14 Basic elements – overview 2.15 Print and digital collateral 2.16 Our brand family 2.16.1 Bridge & Wickers 2.16.2 Ultimate Challenges 2.16.3 Specialtours

H O W T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y S O U N D S 3.0 Verbal identity 3.1 Tone of voice 3.2 Tone of voice – application 3.3 House style writing guide

Company details

06 08 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 22 24

28 30 32 33 34 35 36 38 40 42 44 45 46 47 48 58 60 62 64 70 74

78 80 82 88 94

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CONTENTS 03

A N O V E RV I E W

W E L C O M E TO O U R BRAND IDENTITY GUIDELINES W I T H I N T H E S E PA G E S Y O U ’ L L F I N D T H E BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR UNIQUE BRAND. Along with helping you understand how to apply our visual and verbal brand identity in every conceivable context, we hope these guidelines give you a clear insight into why our brand is so valuable and important to us.

Ultimately the elements enclosed in this book help us to tell authentic and compelling stories that make us unique and stand us out from the competition. And just like us, these guidelines are flexible, fluid and always evolving.

So take a moment, familiarise yourself with how they work.

Then by all means have some fun.

Thank you for your time and attention to the details.

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OUR BRAND 05

1.0 OUR BRAND

0 6 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

HOW THE U L T I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y T H I N K S .

D I S C OV E R W H AT OUR BRAND MEANS TO U S A N D O U R CLIENTS

OUR BRAND 07

1.0 OUR BRAND

THE F O U N DAT I O N S OF OUR BRAND THIS SECTION IS ALL ABOUT THE BASICS: OUR BRAND DNA. The elements within this section define who we are and who we are for. Put simply, they are the things that make us unique and stand us out from the competition.

From our founding philosophy to the type of enlightened travellers we exist to serve, this is a comprehensive introduction to the many reasons why we do what we do.

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1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9

An introduction Brand statement Brand vision Brand values What we are What we are not Our personality and characteristics Our clients Client profiles

10 12 14 16 18 19 20 22 24

OUR BRAND 09

1 . 1 A N I N T RO D U C T I O N

WE ARE THE U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y F O R A REASON OUR JOURNEY BEGAN IN 1991.

Having spent most of our professional lives working in the travel and hotel industry, I together with Rowan Paterson and Martin Thompson decided to consolidate our experience delivering high-end service and international tours into creating the ultimate upmarket travel and lifestyle brand.

From the outset, we had the express intention of providing a comprehensive range of travel services. Our clients could therefore expect the same personal and detailed service and also specialist knowledge whether enquiring for the simple purchase of an air ticket, a luxurious European weekend or a complex around the world itinerary including safaris, cultural experiences and beach stays. In other words The Ultimate Travel Company could help them with all and every future travel request. It is as simple as that and this is still our aim.

We recognise that travel companies rarely offer any unique products – we all sell the same airlines, the same lodge, the same elephants, and the same sunset, at very similar prices – so we’ve built our difference around our exceptional service levels.

We not only pride ourselves on being easy to do business with, but on understanding intimately our clients needs.

Across all levels of the company we strive to do whatever it takes (within reason and rule of law) to keep our clients happy and provide memorable holidays, never forgetting that they make our business what it is. And our clients remember us for this.

This is why our brand, in all the many manifestations described in detail throughout this book, is so important to us. Because it is the unmistakable hallmark of faultless service, far-reaching expertise and enduring quality.

It is essentially the sum of our hard work.

So thank you for taking the time to acquaint yourself with how it looks, how it feels, and most importantly what the brand means to us.

N I C K VA N G R U I S E N MANAGING DIRECTOR

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OUR BRAND 11

1 . 2 B R A N D S TAT E M E N T

“

W E A R E T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M P A N Y

W E S P E C I A L I S E I N C R E AT I N G B E S P O K E H I G H - E N D H O L I D AY S A N D T O U R S .

ACCOMPLISHED, HANDS-ON AND WELCOMING, W E P R O V I D E H O L I D AY S T H AT P E O P L E L O V E T O R E M E M B E R .

W I T H O U R F R I E N D LY A N D I N F O R M E D S E R V I C E , W E TA K E T H E T R O U B L E T O D E L I V E R W O R L D - C L A S S , U P M A R K E T T R AV E L .

T H AT ’ S W H Y S O M A N Y P E O P L E C H O O S E T O T R AV E L W I T H U S AGAIN AND AGAIN. W E A R E T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y FOR A REASON.

“ 1 2 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

OUR BRAND 13

1.3 BRAND VISION

W E D O N ’ T H AV E A DREAM, BUT WE D O H AV E A V I S I O N AND IT’S SIMPLE WE WANT TO BE KNOWN AS THE BEST HIGH-END H O L I D AY C O M PA N Y. A R E P U TAT I O N B U I LT O N E X C E L L E N T AND PERSONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE, PEERLESS PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE, AND A GENUINE ENTHUSIASM FOR D E L I V E R I N G T H E U LT I M AT E H O L I D AY E X P E R I E N C E .

A S A R E S U LT, W E ’ D L I K E T O G A I N M O R E H A P P Y CLIENTS AND CONTINUE TO MAKE OUR EXISTING ONES EVEN HAPPIER.

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OUR BRAND 15

1 . 4 B R A N D VA L U E S

O U R B R A N D VA L U E S L I E AT T H E H E A RT O F O U R B R A N D. T H E Y A R E T H E P R I N C I P L E S T H AT I N F O R M O U R B E H AV I O U R , A N D H O W W E C O M M U N I C AT E A N D P R E S E N T O U R S E LV E S AT E V E RY T O U C H P O I N T

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WE ARE...

HONEST & HANDS-ON Telling it like it is, we give timely and constructive advice.

Transparent in all our dealings and decisions, we ensure our clients are fully informed, enabling them to truly enjoy their travel.

INTELLIGENT & FLEXIBLE Informed, practical, savvy, we’re efficient opportunity makers and problem solvers. We know how our business works and know how to make it work best for our clients.

I N V O LV I N G & E N G A G I N G Worldly, understanding and light hearted, we’re committed to providing every client with the ultimate travel experience. We’re interested in people and it shows.

B RO AU NRD BSRTA ONR D Y 17

1 . 5 W H AT W E A R E

W H AT W E A R E T H I S D R I V E S W H AT W E D O .

I T I S T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y ‘ O F F E R ’ MAKING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND O T H E R C O M PA N I E S T O O U R C L I E N T S .

WE ARE

WE DO

Good value for money.

Focussed on the right deal, not the most profitable deal.

Provide a personal tailored service.

We give back to the countries we take from.

Privately owned, run by owners.

Enthusiastic about travel.

Provide excellent holidays & tours.

We care about clients having a great holiday.

100% trustworthy.

Passionate about the environment and cultures.

Offer experienced and in-depth knowledge.

We take our job seriously, but ourselves less so.

Best consultants in the industry, knowledgeable and experienced.

Totally honest and genuine.

We care about personal choice and freedom.

We care about every element of their holiday.

Upmarket.

Accessible, inclusive, down to earth.

Quality, not quantity.

Clients keep coming back year after year.

80% return rate.

Forward thinking.

Precise specialists.

Provide a seamless service from start to finish.

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1 . 6 W H AT W E A R E N O T

W H AT W E A R E N O T I T I S E Q U A L LY I M P O R T A N T T O K N O W W H AT W E A R E N O T I N O R D E R T O U N D E R S T A N D M O R E C L E A R LY W H O W E W A N T T O A P P E A L T O A S A C O M P A N Y.

WE ARE NOT Over-sellers; we deliver time and time again.

A big company, but large enough to be secure, small enough to care.

Formal, rigid, stiff.

Faceless and corporate, but personable, friendly and caring.

Just about a flash website and slick marketing.

Mass market.

A corporate marketing machine.

About the most profitable deal.

Impersonal.

Just about money.

Totally web based business.

Marketing hype or industry clichĂŠ.

Rigid or bureaucratic; we offer value for money, better accountability & quality, and we react. Faster.

Off the shelf holidays.

Bums on seats business.

Old fashioned or ultra modern, but classic.

The same as other luxury tour operators.

OUR BRAND 19

1.7 OUR PERSONALITY AND CHARACTERISTICS

OUR PERSONALITY IS A TREMENDOUS STRENGTH AND ONE OF THE MOST E F F E C T I V E WAY S T O D E M O N S T R AT E OUR DIFFERENCE C O M M U N I C AT I N G O U R P E R S O N A L I T Y W E L L B R I N G S U S T O L I F E A N D A L L O W S U S T O D E M O N S T R AT E T H AT W E A R E N O T J U S T A C O R P O R AT E M A C H I N E .

We are fun, humorous, full of life and knowledge and can be considered great company, even if we do say so ourselves.

Whilst passion is an overused word, especially in our business, we remain passionate travellers that love the thrill of visiting new destinations and fascinating cultures.

We are eager to share our enthusiasm, experience and expert knowledge of travel with our clients.

We are intelligent and bright, but not pompous, or aloof.

Far from it. We are accessible, inclusive and engaging.

Nothing is ever too much trouble for our clients.

We will always go the extra mile for them.

We are dependable and trustworthy. We endeavour to deliver to our clients, but are honest enough to put up our hands when things go wrong, and if they do, we will go out of our way to make them right.

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OUR BRAND 21

1.8 OUR CLIENTS

WHO WE ARE FOR W E A R E D E D I C AT E D T O H E L P I N G D I S C E R N I N G T R AV E L L E R S INVEST TIME AND MONEY INTO REWARDING JOURNEYS. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO...

Love travel Have specific, individual views on travel Know where they want to go Are adventurous and unique Want good service Have the time and money for top end holidays Need to trust the holiday company 100% to make the right decisions, choices and recommendations Are curious Expect high standards of delivery Are looking for something special Are intelligent travellers who want intellectual stimulation

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WHO WE ARE NOT FOR W E O F F E R A R A N G E O F P R E M I U M H O L I D AY S E R V I C E S A N D E X P E R I E N C E S , W H I C H A R E N ’ T T O E V E R Y O N E ’ S TA S T E O R B U D G E T. O N T H E W H O L E T H E S E A R E P E O P L E W H O . . .

Feel that service is not an important consideration Are seeking large group travel Have small / limited budgets Have limited respect for foreign people or cultures Aren’t open minded travellers Prefer package holidays Are deal hunters Prefer off the shelf holidays

OUR BRAND 23

1 . 9 C L I E N T P RO F I L E S

OUR CLIENTS A R E A F F L U E N T, W E L L - E D U C AT E D A N D C U LT U R E D T H E Y A R E A L S O FA N TA S T I C A L LY L O YA L .

Around 80% of our clients return to travel with us again, which means we have got to know them incredibly well over the years and have conducted research into their reading, spending and recreational habits.

Over the next two pages we present the highlights of our findings. They reveal a group of people who love to travel and are keen to seek out new experiences. Hopefully these insights will help you create communications they love.

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OUR BRAND 25

1 . 9 C L I E N T P RO F I L E S

“I’M HAPPY TO SPEND £ 1 0 , 0 0 0 O N A H O L I D AY – B U T L I K E E V E RY O N E T H E S E D AY S , I L I K E T O G E T G O O D VA L U E F O R M O N E Y. ”

21% ENJOY FINE FOOD AND WINE

40%+

81% 15%+

“OUR HONEYMOON WILL BE THE MOST MONEY WE’VE EVER SPENT O N A T R I P, S O I T N E E D S TO BE AMAZING”

OF OUR CUSTOMERS READ BROADSHEET N E W S PA P E R S

10%+

5%+

42%

-5%

OF OUR CUSTOMERS LIVE IN LONDON

31% TA K E A N I N T E R E S T IN GARDENING

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15% 12% 09% 07%

The South-West The Midlands East Anglia Wales

1.9

“ I K N O W W H AT I L I K E A N D A S A L O YA L , L O N G S T A N D I N G C L I E N T, I WA N T TO M A K E S U R E I G E T I T. ”

54% E N J O Y H E A LT H AND FITNESS

24% ARE INTERESTED IN MUSIC

87%

“ I L OV E T O R E S E A R C H E V E RY ASPECT OF MY TRIP & TICK OFF ALL T H E ‘ M U S T- S E E ’ S . ”

OF OUR CUSTOMERS

D O N AT E T O C H A R I T Y

90% ARE RETIRED OR

WORK IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT

OUR BRAND 27

2 . 0 V I S UA L I D E N T I T Y

2 8 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

HOW THE U L T I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y L O O K S .

F I N D O U T H OW TO B R I N G O U R V I S UA L I D E N T I T Y TO L I F E

VISUAL IDENTITY 29

2 . 0 V I S UA L I D E N T I T Y

E V E RY J O U R N E Y BEGINS WITH AN U N D E R S TA N D I N G OF THE ELEMENTS THIS SECTION COVERS THE DESIGN ELEMENTS WE USE T O C R E AT E O U R V I S U A L I D E N T I T Y. What you will find over the next few pages are the core elements of the Ultimate Travel Company Brand and how to apply them correctly and consistently across various applications.

Please refer to this section for help and guidance when applying these elements as they are an integral part to our overall brand communications.

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2.1 Logo 2.2 Logo – colour and reproduction 2.3 Logo – scale and format 2.4 Logo – clear space and positioning 2.5 Our slogan 2.6 Fonts – usage 2.7 Fonts – typographic styling 2.8 Colours 2.9 Colours – primary 2.10 Colours – tints 2.11 Colours – secondary 2.12 Colours – special finishes 2.13 Photography – image style 2.14 Basic elements – overview 2.15 Print and digital collateral

32 33 34 35 36 38 40 42 44 45 46 47 48 58 60

2.16 Our brand family 2.16.1 Bridge & Wickers 2.16.2 Ultimate Challenges 2.16.3 Specialtours

62 64 70 74

VISUAL IDENTITY 31

2.1 LOGO

OUR LOGO IS SIMPLE AND PRECISE. I T I S M A D E U P O F T WO I N S E PA R A B L E E L E M E N T S THE BRANDMARK AND WO R D M A R K . T H E SI Z E AND POSITION OF THESE ELEMENTS ARE FIXED

Brandmark

Wordmark

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2 . 2 L O G O – C O L O U R A N D R E P RO D U C T I O N

COLOUR AND REPRODUCTION There is only one permitted colour option for the logo, which is black.

The logo should only be reproduced from the master artwork and should not be redrawn or altered in any way.

Our logo works well when placed with colour from our primary and secondary colour palettes. (Please refer to the Print and Digital Collateral section on p60-61).

Logo artwork is available for both Mac and PC, in EPS and JPEG formats from The Ultimate Travel Company on +44 (20) 7386 4646.

VISUAL IDENTITY 33

2 . 3 L O G O – S C A L E A N D F O R M AT

SCALE

20mm MINIMUM SIZE

The minimum size of the logo is 20mm.

Do not reproduce the logo at sizes smaller than this.

To specify the size of the logo, measure over the horizontal width, as shown far left. All logo artworks are set up with the width at 100mm making the logo easier to scale in applications.

F O R M AT

A5 25mm

There are three predetermined sizes when using the logo on A5, A4 and A3 formats, these consistent sizes maintain uniformity across collateral.

Please use the correct size logo on their respective formats. When using on large formats please consider scale and proportion.

A4 35mm

A3 45mm

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When printing onto different substrates take into consideration the surface and printing techniques as this will affect legibility.

2 . 4 L O G O – C L E A R S PA C E A N D P O S I T I O N I N G

C L E A R S PA C E The logo is always surrounded by an area of clear space which remains free of all other design elements, such as type & imagery and is clear of any page edge to ensure prominence and legibility.

The minimum area of clear space is illustrated by the rectangular box containing the logo, as shown left.

This area is a minimum and should be increased wherever possible.

Its method of construction is based on the ‘U’ letterform from The Ultimate Travel Company wordmark element of the logo.

POSITIONING

C L E A R S PA C E Defined as 1 x cap height of ‘U’

The logo should be positioned top centre or bottom centre. The only exception to this rule applies when the logo is used on stationery (letterheads, business cards and envelopes).

Please refer to the Print and Digital Collateral pages (p60-61) of this document for examples of this usage.

VISUAL IDENTITY 35

2.5 OUR SLOGAN

N E V E R K N O W I N G LY U N D E R S O L D. T H E U L T I M AT E D R I V I N G M A C H I N E . J U S T D O I T. A GOOD SLOGAN H E L P S F I X A U N I QU E B R A N D P RO M I S E I N TO A C U S TO M E R ’ S H E A RT A N D M I N D O U R S L O G A N D O E S T H E S A M E . I T E N A B L E S U S T O E F F E C T I V E LY C O M M U N I C AT E O U R B R A N D VA L U E S , P E R S O N A L I T Y A N D POSITIONING IN LITTLE MORE THAN A FEW WORDS. It is our brand values, personality and characteristics that provide the multiple reasons why we are The Ultimate Travel Company.

There are many legitimate reasons why we can use Ultimate to describe what we do and what we offer, with confidence.

It is our job to make sure we communicate this very important point. Through adoption and use of our slogan, we are able to achieve this.

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VISUAL IDENTITY 37

2.6 FONTS – USAGE

CORRECT USE OF FONTS AND TYPOGRAPHIC STYLING IS AN INTEGRAL PA RT O F O U R B R A N D. C O N S I S T E N C Y A C RO S S A L L A P P L I C AT I O N S I S THEREFORE ESSENTIAL

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B/R

B A S K E RV I L L E R E G U L A R ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890!@£$%^&*()_+

A/H

AV E N I R H E AV Y ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890!@£$%^&*()_+

G/R/B

There are three main fonts used across The Ultimate Travel Company Brand: Baskerville Regular, Avenir Heavy and Gothic 720.

If technical restrictions mean you cannot use Baskerville Regular, Avenir Heavy, Gothic 720 Regular and Gothic 720 Bold for example web, mobile or screen applications then the following substitutions apply: – Georgia with a space after each character should be used to replace Baskerville Regular.

– Arial upper case should be used to replace Avenir Heavy.

– Arial sentence case should be used to replace Gothic 720 Roman In all instances follow the typographic styling as outlined on the next page.

There are no other permitted fonts.

Please ensure you have the correct fonts and weights. Baskerville Regular, Avenir Heavy, Gothic 720 Regular and Gothic 720 Bold can be purchased online for Mac and PC from www.fonts.com or you can call on +44 (0)1737 765 959.

Gothic 720 Roman / Bold abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890!@£$%^&*()_+

VISUAL IDENTITY 39

2.7 FONTS – TYPOGRAPHIC STYLING

B A S K E RV I L L E REGULAR IS OUR H E A D L I N E F O N T. I T S H O U L D A L WAY S BE SET IN UPPER CASE FOR HEADLINES AND SHOULD USE OPEN KERNING AV E N I R 8 5 H E AV Y I S U S E D F O R S U B H E A D I N G S .

I T S H O U L D A LW AY S B E S E T I N U P P E R C A S E F O R SUBHEADINGS AND SHOULD USE OPEN KERNING. Gothic 720 Roman is used for body copy Gothic 720 Light is used for address detail For body copy it should be set in sentence case (see point 1 opposite in do set type. The preferred size for body copy text is 8pt on 10pt.

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OUR TYPOGRAPHIC STYLE

DO SET TYPE…

DO NOT SET TYPE…

Just as important as the choice of corporate typeface, is the way in which the type is set. A consistent typographic style can only be achieved by applying the following principles wherever possible.

1 with sentence case rather than title case wherever possible. However, titles and subheadings are generally set in the uppercase.

1 in all capital letters for body copy;

As a general rule the only words that should have a capital letter are:

– at the start of a sentence within body copy

– proper nouns, e.g. people or country names

– other company names (e.g. Royal Opera House) or brands (e.g. The North Face)

– acronyms that don’t read in lower case, e.g. IT;

2 centred or ranged left. Avoid word breaks in ranged left setting;

2 that has been altered, condensed or expanded in any way; 3 that uses special effects, such as drop shadows or underlines, etc. (except high-level airport signage); 4 with excessive additional letterspacing applied overall; 5 to fill all the available white space on a page; 6 in typefaces other than the corporate typeface specified in this brand style guide; Adhering to these principles will give a strong typographic style and ensure consistency across all applications, helping to increase recognition of the brand.

3 with generous margins and plenty of surrounding white space.

This plays an important part on all applications; 4 using a full line space to denote the start of a new paragraph (in preference to an indent); 5 by keeping punctuation to a minimum, although correct use of punctuation still applies; 6 by paying particular attention to the letter spacing of headings and large text; 7 with shorter, rather than longer, lines of text (optimum of 7–10 words per line); 8 using true single and double quotation marks (‘ and “) not feet and inch marks (' and "); 9 with dashes that are true ‘en’ dashes (–) and not hyphens (-); 10 in solid colours that provide sufficient contrast for legibility;

VISUAL IDENTITY 41

2.8 COLOURS

OUR COLOURS HELP US CONVEY OUR BRAND W I T H O U T WO R D S. T H E I R P RO P E R USAGE IS INTEGRAL T O M A I N TA I N I N G A S T RO N G B R A N D IDENTITY

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VISUAL IDENTITY 43

2 . 9 C O L O U R S – P R I M A RY

PA N T O N E 1 0 7

PA N T O N E 3 1 7

CMYK 0 10 85 2

CMYK 46 0 23 0

RGB 255 229 0

RGB 178 221 223

Background colour

Background colour

PA N T O N E 7 5 2 7

PA N T O N E 4 2 5

TUTC primary colour palette is made up of the six colours shown left.

These colours are important in distinguishing the TUTC brand.

White is used as a contrast colour and helps to create the correct balance for the TUTC brand when used with the other primary palette colours.

It is also acceptable to use tints of these primary colours. The tints should be in multiples of 10% increments.

This will help to provide further visual consistency across all applications (see opposite).

Where possible these primary colours should be printed as specials.

Note: the ‘C’ or ‘U’ after the Pantone number denotes whether the ink is being applied to a coated or uncoated printing material.

CMYK 18 16 24 1

CMYK 62 50 47 45

RGB 216 210 196

RGB 85 87 89

Background colour

Text and background colour

BLACK

WHITE

CMYK 0 0 0 100

CMYK 0 0 0 0

RGB 0 0 0

RGB 255 255 255

Text

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Approved colour swatches or Pantone formula guides must be used for matching when reproducing the colours and approving printers proofs.

2.10 COLOURS – TINTS

PA N T O N E 107

PA N T O N E 317

PA N T O N E 7527

PA N T O N E 425

BLACK

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

VISUAL IDENTITY 45

2 . 1 1 C O L O U R S – S E C O N D A RY

CMYK 0 68 57 0

CMYK 17 98 81 7

CMYK 0 50 97 0

CMYK 30 7 90 0

CMYK 62 35 83 23

RGB 237 110 127

RGB 191 31 46

RGB 243 146 0

RGB 203 202 4

RGB 143 138 47

CMYK 81 13 64 1

CMYK 75 2 33 0

CMYK 72 23 28 4

CMYK 59 42 24 7

CMYK 45 60 23 5

RGB 7 155 120

RGB 0 176 181

RGB 67 152 171

RGB 116 131 158

RGB 152 112 146

CMYK 1 23 20 0

CMYK 17 9 11 0

CMYK 29 28 40 9

RGB 249 211 198

RGB 219 224 226

RGB 183 170 148

Our secondary colour palette is made up of the nineteen colours shown opposite. These colours are important in distinguishing the TUTC brand and complimenting the primary colour palette.

These secondary colours can be used for text and background applications.

When working with photography, extra colours may be pipetted from within the photo to get an overall colour consistency.

It is also acceptable to use tints of these secondary colours. The tints should be in multiples of 10% increments. This will help to provide further visual consistency across all applications.

4 6 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

2.12 COLOURS – SPECIAL FINISHES

Using subtle finishes when producing print work adds an extra tactile dimension to our identity and emphasises the impression of the premium service which we provide.

We recommend keeping these finishes simple with effects such as black or silver foiling, along with gravure embossed paper.

VISUAL IDENTITY 47

2 . 1 3 PH OTO G R A PH Y – I M AG E ST Y L E

O U R P H OTO G R A P H I C STYLE IS A KEY AT T R I B U T E T O O U R B R A N D. W E P R I D E O U R S E LV E S O N CAPTURING THE CHARM, B E AU T Y A N D P E R S O NA L I T Y O F O U R D E S T I N AT I O N S T H RO U G H I M A G E RY

4 8 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

VISUAL IDENTITY 49

2 . 1 3 PH OTO G R A PH Y – I M AG E ST Y L E

SETTING THE SCENE. C H O O S E E VO C AT I V E LANDSCAPES AND L O C AT I O N S T H AT A R E P E R F E C T LY F R A M E D

5 0 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR A R E A S / D E S T I N AT I O N S When selecting or commissioning photography to describe / depict an area or location there are a couple of points to bear in mind in order to create images that will sit within our photographic library: – Keep frame uncluttered.

– People should not feature in the image – but if it is unavoidable – they should not be the focus of the shot.

VISUAL IDENTITY 51

2 . 1 3 PH OTO G R A PH Y – I M AG E ST Y L E

PAT T E R N & T E X T U R E .

REFLECT THE VIBRANCY O F T H E D E S T I N AT I O N

BY FOCUSING ON C O L O U R F U L D E TA I L S

5 2 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PAT T E R N S & T E X T U R E S When selecting or commissioning photography to describe / depict patterns and textures of an area or location there are a couple of points to bear in mind in order to create images that will sit within our photographic library. – Choose bold colours, shapes, patterns and textures. – Ensure these images encapsulate the heart of the subject and are relevant to the accompanying text.

VISUAL IDENTITY 53

2 . 1 3 PH OTO G R A PH Y – I M AG E ST Y L E

MEET THE LOCALS. CAPTURING THE SPIRIT AND CHARACTER OF PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE

5 4 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR MEET THE LOCALS When selecting or commissioning photography to describe / depict the spirit and character of the local people and wildlife there are a couple of points to bear in mind in order to create images that will sit within our photographic library.

– These images are about capturing the realism, spirit and atmosphere of a particular destination through local characters and wildlife.

VISUAL IDENTITY 55

2 . 1 3 PH OTO G R A PH Y – I M AG E ST Y L E

A S P I R AT I O N A L & A C T I V E .

SELECT ENTICING AND INSPIRING IMAGES OF REAL PEOPLE DOING ACTIVITIES

5 6 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR ACTIVITIES & ADVENTURE When selecting or commissioning photography to describe / depict activities and adventure there are a couple of points to bear in mind in order to create images that will sit within our photographic library.

– Choose exciting, inspiring scenes, focusing on the action and adventure mixed with the invigorating surroundings.

– People should always feature, but never looking towards camera, they should be taking part or sizing up their next thrill.

VISUAL IDENTITY 57

2 . 1 4 B A S I C E L E M E N T S – O V E RV I E W

LOGO

TYPOGRAPHY

B/R

B A S K E RV I L L E R E G U L A R ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890!@£$%^&*()_+

A/H

AVENIR HEAVY ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890!@£$%^&*()_+

G/R/M Gothic 720 Light / Regular abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890!@£$%^&*()_+

5 8 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

COLOUR

PHOTOGRAPHY

A P P L I C AT I O N

ABTA W7956 ATOL 6611 AITO 5019

U LT I M AT E B OT S WA NA

ADRIAN McDOUGALL 25–27 Vanston Place, London SW6 1AZ T: +44 (0)20 7386 4667 E: adrian@theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk

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020 3642 7049 W W W. T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y. C O . U K

25—27 Vanston Place, London SW6 1AZ T: +44 (0)20 3432 5625 E: enquiry@theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk The Ultimate Travel Company Limited Registered in the UK No. 03528325 10 London Mews, London W2 1HY

NAME

OVERSEA

S ADDRE SS

FLIGHT N O

VISUAL IDENTITY 59

2 . 1 5 P R I N T A N D D I G I TA L C O L L AT E R A L

60 TH 6E 0 U TH L TEI M UA L TT IEM TART A E VTERLAC VO E LM P CA ON MYP A – NVYI S U A L I D E N T I T Y

T H E U L T I M A T E T R A V E L C O M P A NVYI S–U A V ILS IUDAELNITDI T EY N T6I1T Y 6 1

2 . 1 6 O U R B R A N D FA M I LY

OUR EXTENDED BRAND FA M I LY A L L O W S U S T O E X T E N D O U R E X P E RT I S E I N T O S P E C I A L I S T T R AV E L A R E A S . T H O U G H O P E R AT I N G S E A M L E S S LY W I T H T H E PA R E N T B R A N D, T H E Y POSSESS THEIR OWN U N I QU E I D E N T I T I E S

6 2 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

Ultimate Challenges

VISUAL IDENTITY 63

2.16.1 BRIDGE & WICKERS – LOGO

6 4 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

2.16.1 BRIDGE & WICKERS – LOGO SCALE AND POSITIONING

C L E A R S PA C E The logo is always surrounded by an area of clear space which remains free of all other design elements, such as type & imagery and is clear of any page edge to ensure prominence and legibility.

The minimum area of clear space is illustrated by the rectangular box containing the logo, as shown left.

This area is a minimum and should be increased wherever possible.

Its method of construction is based on the ‘U’ letterform from The Ultimate Travel Company wordmark element of the logo.

POSITIONING

C L E A R S PA C E Defined as 1 x cap height of ‘U’

The logo should be positioned top centre or bottom centre. The only exception to this rule applies when the logo is used on stationery (letterheads, business cards and envelopes).

Please refer to the Print and Digital Collateral pages (p60-61) of this document for examples of this usage.

SCALE 36mm MINIMUM SIZE

The minimum size of the logo is 36mm.

Do not reproduce the logo at sizes smaller than this.

VISUAL IDENTITY 65

2.16.1 BRIDGE & WICKERS – COLOURS

PA N T O N E 2 8 9

PA N T O N E 3 1 7

CMYK 100 92 40 42

CMYK 46 0 23 0

RGB 255 229 0

RGB 178 221 223

Background colour

Background colour

PA N T O N E 7 5 2 7

PA N T O N E 4 2 5

Bridge & Wickers primary colour palette is made up of the six colours shown left. These colours are important in distinguishing the Bridge & Wickers brand.

White is used as a contrast colour and helps to create the correct balance for the Bridge & Wickers brand when used with the other primary palette colours.

It is also acceptable to use tints of these primary colours. The tints should be in multiples of 10% increments.

This will help to provide further visual consistency across all applications (see opposite).

Where possible these primary colours should be printed as specials.

Note: the ‘C’ or ‘U’ after the Pantone number denotes whether the ink is being applied to a coated or uncoated printing material.

CMYK 18 16 24 1

CMYK 62 50 47 45

RGB 216 210 196

RGB 85 87 89

Background colour

Text and background colour

BLACK

WHITE

CMYK 0 0 0 100

CMYK 0 0 0 0

RGB 0 0 0

RGB 255 255 255

Text

6 6 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

Approved colour swatches or Pantone formula guides must be used for matching when reproducing the colours and approving printers proofs.

2.16.1 BRIDGE & WICKERS – TINTS

PA N T O N E 289

PA N T O N E 317

PA N T O N E 7527

PA N T O N E 425

BLACK

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

VISUAL IDENTITY 67

2 . 1 6 . 1 B R I D G E & W I C K E R S – S E C O N D A RY P A L E T T E

CMYK 0 68 57 0

CMYK 17 98 81 7

CMYK 0 50 97 0

CMYK 30 7 90 0

CMYK 62 35 83 23

RGB 237 110 127

RGB 191 31 46

RGB 243 146 0

RGB 203 202 4

RGB 143 138 47

CMYK 81 13 64 1

CMYK 75 2 33 0

CMYK 72 23 28 4

CMYK 59 42 24 7

CMYK 45 60 23 5

RGB 7 155 120

RGB 0 176 181

RGB 67 152 171

RGB 116 131 158

RGB 152 112 146

CMYK 1 23 20 0

CMYK 17 9 11 0

CMYK 29 28 40 9

RGB 249 211 198

RGB 219 224 226

RGB 183 170 148

Our secondary colour palette is made up of the nineteen colours shown opposite. These colours are important in distinguishing the B&W brand and complimenting the primary colour palette.

These secondary colours can be used for text and background applications.

When working with photography, extra colours may be pipetted from within the photo to get an overall colour consistency.

It is also acceptable to use tints of these secondary colours. The tints should be in multiples of 10% increments. This will help to provide further visual consistency across all applications.

68

T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

VISUAL IDENTITY 69

2 . 1 6 . 2 U LT I M AT E C H A L L E N G E S – L O G O

Ultimate Challenges

70

T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

2 . 1 6 . 2 U LT I M AT E C H A L L E N G E S – C O L O U R

PA N T O N E 7 4 6 1

PA N T O N E 7 4 5 9

CMYK 0 68 57 0

CMYK 75 2 33 4

RGB 237 110 127

RGB 67 152 171

Background colour

Background colour

PA N T O N E 7 5 2 7

PA N T O N E 4 2 5

Ultimate Challenges’ primary colour palette is made up of the six colours shown left. These colours are important in distinguishing the Ultimate Challenges brand from other brands within The Ultimate Travel Company brand family.

White is used as a contrast colour and helps to create the correct balance for the Ultimate Challenges brand when used with the other primary palette colours.

It is also acceptable to use tints of these primary colours. The tints should be in multiples of 10% increments.

This will help to provide further visual consistency across all applications (see p70).

Where possible these primary colours should be printed as specials.

CMYK 18 16 24 1

CMYK 62 50 47 45

RGB 216 210 196

RGB 85 87 89

Background colour

Text and background colour

BLACK

WHITE

CMYK 0 0 0 100

CMYK 0 0 0 0

RGB 0 0 0

RGB 255 255 255

Note: the ‘C’ or ‘U’ after the Pantone number denotes whether the ink is being applied to a coated or uncoated printing material.

Approved colour swatches or Pantone formula guides must be used for matching when reproducing the colours and approving printers proofs.

Text

VISUAL IDENTITY 71

2 . 1 6 . 2 U LT I M AT E C H A L L E N G E S – T I N T S

PA N T O N E 7461

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

72

T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

PA N T O N E 7459

PA N T O N E 7527

PA N T O N E 425

BLACK

2 . 1 6 . 2 U L T I M A T E C H A L L E N G E S – S E C O N D A RY C O L O U R S

CMYK 0 68 57 0

CMYK 17 98 81 7

CMYK 0 50 97 0

CMYK 30 7 90 0

CMYK 62 35 83 23

RGB 237 110 127

RGB 191 31 46

RGB 243 146 0

RGB 203 202 4

RGB 143 138 47

CMYK 81 13 64 1

CMYK 75 2 33 0

CMYK 72 23 28 4

CMYK 45 60 23 5

RGB 7 155 120

RGB 0 176 181

RGB 67 152 171

RGB 152 112 146

CMYK 17 9 11 0

CMYK 29 28 40 9

CMYK 0 10 85 0

RGB 219 224 226

RGB 183 170 148

RGB 255 259 0

VISUAL IDENTITY 73

2 . 1 6 . 3 S P E C I A LTO U R S – LO G O

74

T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

2 . 1 6 . 3 S P E C I A LTO U R S – C O LO U R S

PA N T O N E 7 4 5 6

PA N T O N E 5 0 3

CMYK 59 42 24 7

CMYK 1 23 20 0

RGB 116 131 158

RGB 249 211 198

Background colour

Background colour

PA N T O N E 7 5 2 7

PA N T O N E 4 2 5

The Specialtours’ primary colour palette is made up of the six colours shown left. These colours are important in distinguishing the Specialtours brand from other brands within The Ultimate Travel Company brand family.

White is used as a contrast colour and helps to create the correct balance for the Specialtours brand when used with the other primary palette colours.

It is also acceptable to use tints of these primary colours. The tints should be in multiples of 10% increments.

This will help to provide further visual consistency across all applications (see p66).

Where possible these primary colours should be printed as specials.

CMYK 18 16 24 1

CMYK 65 50 47 45

RGB 216 210 196

RGB 85 87 89

Background colour

Text and background colour

BLACK

WHITE

CMYK 0 0 0 100

CMYK 0 0 0 0

RGB 0 0 0

RGB 255 255 255

Note: the ‘C’ or ‘U’ after the Pantone number denotes whether the ink is being applied to a coated or uncoated printing material.

Approved colour swatches or Pantone formula guides must be used for matching when reproducing the colours and approving printers proofs.

Text

VISUAL IDENTITY 75

2 . 1 6 . 3 S P E C I A LTO U R S – T I N T S

PA N T O N E 7456

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

7 6 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

PA N T O N E 503

PA N T O N E 7527

PA N T O N E 425

BLACK

2 . 1 6 . 3 S P E C I A L T O U R S – S E C O N D A RY C O L O U R S

CMYK 0 68 57 0

CMYK 17 98 81 7

CMYK 0 50 97 0

CMYK 30 7 90 0

CMYK 62 35 83 23

RGB 237 110 127

RGB 191 31 46

RGB 243 146 0

RGB 203 202 4

RGB 143 138 47

CMYK 81 13 64 1

CMYK 75 2 33 0

CMYK 72 23 28 4

CMYK 45 60 23 5

RGB 7 155 120

RGB 0 176 181

RGB 67 152 171

RGB 152 112 146

CMYK 17 9 11 0

CMYK 29 28 40 9

CMYK 0 10 85 0

RGB 219 224 226

RGB 183 170 148

RGB 255 259 0

VISUAL IDENTITY 77

3.0 VERBAL IDENTITY

7 8 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

THIS SECTION IS ABOUT HOW W E TA L K & S O U N D. I T W I L L H E L P YO U T O U N D E R S TA N D T H E E L E M E N T S T H AT, W H E N C O M B I N E D, BRING OUR VERBAL I D E N T I T Y TO L I F E

VERBAL IDENTITY 79

3.0 VERBAL IDENTITY

EXPRESSING O U R S E LV E S .

IT’S NOT JUST W H AT W E S AY T H AT M AT T E R S , BUT HOW WE S AY I T T H I S S E C T I O N I S A B O U T H O W W E TA L K A N D S O U N D .

I T I S A B O U T O U R L A N G U A G E A N D H O W W E A P P LY I T. The language of the high-end travel industry tends to suffer from being bland, repetitive and identikit. There is much use of clichĂŠ and jargon.

Words such as passion, luxury and bespoke are overused and lose their meaning. There is little distinction in tone between the different operators.

To make sure we stand out from our competitors, we need to apply our tone of voice to our written communications.

8 0 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

3.1 Tone of voice 3.2 Tone of voice – application 3.3 House style writing guide

82 88 94

VERBAL IDENTITY 81

3 . 1 TO N E O F VO I C E

O U R T O N E O F VO I C E B R I N G S O U R VA L U E S T O L I F E T H RO U G H T H E WO R D S W E U S E I T ’ S A B O U T C O N N E C T I N G O U R VA L U E S A N D P E R S O N A L I T Y D I R E C T LY W I T H O U R L A N G U A G E .

8 2 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

The way we say or write something – even if it’s just a greeting – sends signals about what we’re like as people, as a company and as a brand. It sets up expectations about what it’s like to deal and travel with us.

OUR TONE OF VOICE PRINCIPLES We describe our values and our tone of voice in the same way, using three linked couplets. So, we are:

As such our tone of voice has a direct impact on how credible, interesting, and accessible we are.

Used consistently and well, it helps The Ultimate Travel Company to be more distinctive and recognisable.

Which makes it easier for our clients to trust and engage with us.

1 HONEST AND HANDS-ON

2 INTELLIGENT AND FLEXIBLE

3 I N V O LV I N G A N D ENGAGING

It’s the combination of the two interconnected words within each couplet that fully expresses who we are. Or, put another way, this is the kind of people we are, so this is how we sound.

When working together, these attributes create our distinctive voice. But as with people, we cannot be all of these things at once, or one thing all the time.

Sometimes we may want to be more involving and engaging. With other people we might want to stress being honest and hands-on to anticipate changing circumstances or requirements. Intelligence alone is always useful, but mixed with flexibility it stresses our unique capabilities.

All three couplets should be used in combination, across all our communications, the mix always determined by why we’re communicating and who to.

These guidelines make no distinction between writing and speaking – they apply to both, so write like you speak.

Finally, read what you write out loud.

If it sounds dull and complicated to you, it will to everyone else. Re-write it.

VERBAL IDENTITY 83

3 . 1 TO N E O F VO I C E

HONEST AND HANDS-ON PRINCIPLE 1

W H AT T H I S M E A N S F O R O U R B E H AV I O U R

W H AT T H I S M E A N S F O R OUR LANGUAGE

Telling it like it is, we always give timely, clear and constructive advice.

DO:

Transparent in all our dealings and decisions, we ensure our clients are fully informed, enabling them to relax and genuinely enjoy their travel.

We know and are accurate with the facts and always understand and explain their implications. With us, our clients know where they are in every sense.

KEY QUALITIES:

se direct and everyday language, so it’s find out U not ascertain and buy not acquire.

Use simple sentence constructions and remember simple doesn’t mean simplistic.

Be precise – using words sparingly is more effective and better to read.

Write like a person not a company. If you wouldn’t say it, don’t write it.

Take responsibility. Be open and upfront about problems as well as successes.

Effective

Succinct

Realistic

Transparent

D O N ’ T: Over-promise or over elaborate. We don’t need to.

Be patronizing or lecture people. We’re here to help.

Assume what people know. Find out what they want to know, tell them that.

Overwhelm with unnecessary detail or verbal padding like in the meantime or before we come to that.

Over-punctuate. Too much confuses.

8 4 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

INTELLIGENT AND FLEXIBLE PRINCIPLE 2

W H AT T H I S M E A N S F O R O U R B E H AV I O U R

W H AT T H I S M E A N S F O R OUR LANGUAGE

We’re inspired opportunity makers and efficient problem solvers.

DO:

Informed, practical and savvy, we enable people to get the most from their travel.

Our opinions are based on facts, knowledge and experience.

Get to the point quickly, linking pros and cons, facts, features and benefits in a logical as well as a compelling order.

Use active sentences not passive – we suggest not it is suggested that. The active is quicker to read and easier to understand.

We know how our business works and know how to make it work best for all our clients.

What this means for our language.

Anticipate questions and be ready and able to provide helpful answers.

KEY QUALITIES:

Make it specific – we create individual holidays and should know one size never fits all.

Have a point of view – being able to offer something informed and positive adds value to what you’re saying.

Positive

Expert

Relevant

Reasoned

Be authoritative but not arrogant.

D O N ’ T: Rely on industry and marketing hype, cliché and jargon.

We create unique experiences for people who want something special from their travel, so our language should never be predictable. ombard and bore with excessive facts. Expertise makes B the complex quickly understandable and without fuss. ver-explain. If it’s not clear the first time write it again O rather than add.

VERBAL IDENTITY 85

3 . 1 TO N E O F VO I C E

I N VO LV I N G A N D E N G A G I N G PRINCIPLE 3

W H AT T H I S M E A N S F O R O U R B E H AV I O U R

W H AT T H I S M E A N S F O R OUR LANGUAGE

Worldly, understanding and light hearted, we’re committed to providing every client with the ultimate travel experience.

DO:

mpathetic and accessible, we don’t do our job by numbers.

E We treat everyone as an individual and actively seek to fulfil their hopes and needs.

Use we and our and you and yours equally.

Avoid it and them.

We are optimistic and enthusiastic, believing our clients will benefit from what we do. We’re interested in people and it shows.

ary the length of sentences and selectively repeat V key words to give your writing a natural rhythm.

Use open questions to create affinity with your audience.

A touch of humour helps us connect. void bland descriptions. Use a fresh and telling detail, A new and apt metaphor or unexpected angle to approach the subject.

KEY QUALITIES:

Use real stories and real examples whenever they help make your point stick.

Vibrant

Direct

Personal

Connected

Wherever possible and relevant, make it clear what you want people to do. Include a call to action or an invitation to respond – it helps to engage your audience.

D O N ’ T: Start too many sentences with negatives like maybe, possibly, perhaps.

Don’t be predictable and bland, constantly starting descriptions with imagine, consider, remember, dream.

It makes readers do the work rather than helping them understand and decide with relevant details and facts.

Don’t be too formal, mix they’re, you’re, I’m with, they are, you are and I am.

Sound too casual, over-familiar or unprofessional: We’re friendly and informed, not everyone’s best mate.

Don’t go on. Less is almost always more – especially when you’re writing for digital where attentions spans can be shorter.

8 6 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

A P P L I C AT I O N EXAMPLES OF T O N E O F VO I C E USING OUR TONE OF VOICE PRINCIPLES, WE SHOW HOW OUR TOV CAN BE APPLIED TO A RANGE OF OUR TYPICAL WRITTEN C O M M U N I C AT I O N S .

T H E C H A N G E S T O L A N G U A G E M AY A P P E A R S U B T L E , B U T A R E D I S T I N C T. W E A R E A I M I N G T O V E R B A L LY C O M M U N I C AT E B E T T E R , N O T C O M P L E T E LY C H A N G E A N D R E W R I T E T H E LANGUAGE OF THE SECTOR.

VERBAL IDENTITY 87

3 . 2 TO N E O F VO I C E – A P P L I C AT I O N

EMAIL

SECTION FROM PROPOSAL EMAIL – INCORRECT NOTES Dear, It was a pleasure to speak to you earlier this week. As promised, I enclose a proposal along the lines discussed.

Our costs include carefully chosen accommodation, private transport and guiding, and business class flights. Costs are however subject to availability at the time of booking, so we would recommend that you book as soon as possible to minimise the risk of any increases and to give us every chance of confirming your first choice of itinerary.

Occasionally it is less expensive to book the international flights yourself, or you may want to use your air miles. We are therefore very happy to give you costs for land arrangements only. However, it is worth bearing in mind that flights we book can normally be held, and changed if necessary, without penalty until a few weeks prior to departure. Flights booked directly with an airline will usually have to be paid for within a few days of the booking being made and will invariably be non-refundable. Moreover, under European law full financial protection is only guaranteed if flights and land arrangements are booked by the same agent.

SECTION FROM PROPOSAL EMAIL – CORRECT

Dear, It was a pleasure to talk 1to you earlier this week. As promised, I enclose a proposal along the lines we 2 discussed.

Our costs include business class flights, carefully chosen accommodation, private transport and guiding.3 As always, 4costs are subject to availability at the time of booking. 5So we’d recommend booking soon to minimise the risk of increases and to give us every chance of confirming your first choice of itinerary.

Sometimes6 it is less expensive to book the international flights yourself, or you may want to use your air miles. We’re 7 very happy to give you costs for land arrangements only. However, it’s also worth bearing in mind that flights we book can normally be held and changed without penalty until a few weeks prior to departure. 8 On the other hand, 9 flights booked directly with an airline will usually have to be paid for within a few days of the booking being made and will invariably be non-refundable. Under European law full financial protection is only guaranteed if flights and land arrangements are booked by the same agent.

8 8 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

1 ‘Talk’ is more inclusive and personal than ‘speak’.

2 Adding ‘we’ reinforces the inclusiveness and undercuts the formality of proposal.

3 These elements are now in a logical order, reflecting the structure of the holiday.

4 As always is again less formal, it also suggests shared knowledge between you and the client.

5 A new shorter, quicker sentence, which is more informal and gives a quick link into cost increase and availability. It’s business like but still friendly.

6 ‘Sometimes’ less formal and quicker.

7 Likewise, ‘we’re’ is fine, ‘we are therefore’ is verbal padding.

8 The whole sentence is now streamlined, more informal, excess punctuation removed and redundant verbal padding taken out.

9 ‘On the other hand’ is conversational and allows the regulatory conditions to be given in a context.

CHASER EMAIL

FIRST CHASER – INCORRECT NOTES Dear Mr X, I hope you are keeping well? I just wanted to check that you received the proposal for Argentina that I sent through on Wednesday and whether you have any questions or need further information on anything?

As I mentioned on the phone, everything we do at The Ultimate Travel Company is tailor-made to you, so the proposal is a great way for you to tell me what you find most appealing and want more of and what elements we can cut down on or rule out completely. It’s very much meant to inspire!

I’m here Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm so when you’re ready to start tailoring the proposal and creating something unique for you please just give me a call or drop me a line.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

FIRST CHASER – CORRECT Dear Mr X, Just a quick note 1to ask if you’ve received the Argentina proposal I sent through recently.2 As I said on the phone, everything we do at The Ultimate Travel Company is tailor made.3 So, this proposal is designed 4 to help you tell me what you’d like more of and what we can cut down or rule out completely. 5It’s very much intended to inspire.6 If you have any questions or need more information I’m here Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. 7Likewise, whenever you’re ready to use the proposal to create a unique holiday,8 please call or drop me a line.9 I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

1 The previous opening ‘I hope you are keeping well?’ isn’t a question. It also presumes a level of relationship that may not exist.

‘Just a quick note’ is instead simple, informal and informative.

2 Before ‘you received the proposal for Argentina that I sent through on Wednesday’ – for a first reminder this is too pushy and sounds strident.

‘Recently’ is reminder enough.

3 ‘To you’ in previous version is redundant.

4 While ‘great way’ is friendly it misses an opportunity and is somewhat bland.

‘Designed’ explains what the proposal is doing and why it’s unique and valuable.

It also leads naturally into ‘help you tell me’.

5 ‘Intended’ echoes ‘designed’ and is more directional and active than ‘meant’.

6 Previous sentence 51 words – far too long and complex.

7 Linking ‘if you have any questions’ with when the writer is available to talk is again directional and active without being pushy.

‘Likewise’ then leads naturally into the core purpose of the proposal and the email – ‘to create a unique holiday’.

8 ‘Something unique for you’ is padding – the email is personal so the reader knows who it’s for. Better to be accurate and remind the reader what our proposition is: ‘a unique holiday’.

9 ‘Call or drop me a line’ is suitably informal and a light touch on which to end.

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I T I N E R A RY

F R O M T H E B U R M A I T I N E R A RY – I N C O R R E C T NOTES I N T E R N AT I O N A L F L I G H T S If you would like to inform us of your intended dates of travel, we will hold flights for you under no obligation. Should you wish to proceed however, it is vital that names on the airline bookings are as written in your passports. Discrepancies may cause airlines to refuse boarding on security grounds.

A C C O M M O D AT I O N A N D S E R V I C E S At this stage, we have not checked availability or reserved any accommodation and services for you. As soon as you are happy with the itinerary and wish to confirm the holiday, we will then make the necessary reservations. Should any accommodation not be available, we will first discuss the options with you before booking alternatives. Any variation in the price will be reflected in our final quote to you.

F R O M T H E B U R M A I T I N E R A RY – C O R R E C T

I N T E R N AT I O N A L F L I G H T S Let us know which dates you’d like to travel and we’ll hold flights for you with no obligation. 1If you go ahead, 2it’s vital that the3 names on the airline bookings are as written in your passports. Any4 discrepancies may cause airlines to refuse boarding on security grounds.

A C C O M M O D AT I O N A N D S E R V I C E S At this stage, we haven’t5 checked availability or reserved any accommodation and services for you. Once6 you are happy with the itinerary and want7 to confirm your holiday, we will make your 8reservations. Should any accommodation be unavailable, we’ll discuss other options with you before booking alternatives.9 Any price variations will be reflected in our final quote.

9 0 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

1 Though this is an important document the writing is unnecessarily stiff and formal. ‘Let us know’ is friendly, active and avoids any sense of pressurising for a decision. Using ‘you’ and ‘we’ll’ is personal and engaging.

2 ‘If you go ahead’ is more accessible language than the legal sounding ‘proceed’ but makes sure the responsibility for a decision is on the reader.

3 ‘The’ is important here and again directs responsibility to the reader.

4 ‘Any’ subtly and quickly stresses the importance of using the correct names. The whole paragraph is sharper, clearer and more directional while also being more personal and engaging.

5 ‘Haven’t’ is informal and mixes equally with the formal ‘you are’ giving the piece texture and flow.

6 ‘Once’ is quicker than ‘as soon as’ and while still being direct isn’t overbearing.

7 ‘Want’ and ‘wish’ – The first is more conversational and less formal and just makes the decision process sound warmer.

8 The previous ‘necessary’ was both redundant and sounding stiffly legalese.‘Your reservations’ redirects attention to it being ‘your holiday’.

A much happier thought.

9 This sentence is now tidied up, being honest, clear and direct. Again, using ‘we’ll’ and ‘you’ reflect the fact that this is a mutual process.

WEBSITE

INCORRECT NOTES C H I L E A N PATA G O N I A L A U R A , O U R L AT I N A M E R I C A S P E C I A L I S T, R E C O M M E N D S V I S I T I N G C H I L E A N PATA G O N I A N O W, W H I L E T H I S R E M O T E A N D S P E C TA C U L A R R E G I O N R E M A I N S R E L AT I V E LY U N D I S T U R B E D .

Perfect for adventurers, budding photographers and trekking enthusiasts, the landscapes of Chilean Patagonia are a true feast for the eyes. Home to sparkling lakes, snow-capped mountains, wooden lodges and beautiful waterfalls; I’m sure more people will soon flock to this region – so I would recommend visiting now!

We have an 11-night ‘Highlights of Chile’ itinerary which includes Torres Del Paine, but we can tailor-make your own personalised trip. Please just call us to find out more on 020 3582 9235.

CORRECT C H I L E A N PATA G O N I A L A U R A , O U R L AT I N A M E R I C A S P E C I A L I S T, S U G G E S T S 1 V I S I T I N G C H I L E A N PATA G O N I A N O W W H I L E T H I S R E M O T E A N D S P E C TA C U L A R R E G I O N I S S T I L L 2 R E L AT I V E LY U N D I S T U R B E D .

1 ‘Suggests’ is more personal but still direct. By using specialist we have established Laura’s credentials so the harder ‘recommends’ while fine is possibly over stating the point.

2 ‘ Is still’ uses more energetic, down to earth language to create a sense of urgency.

3 ‘Budding’ is denigrating and also restrictive – how about professional photographers?

4 ‘Are a true feast for the eyes’ is a little too clichéd and doesn’t say anything about the country. Why not give a sense of it instead?

5 ‘Be flocking is more active, and again, subtly creating more urgency.

6 ‘I’d visit now’ is personal, direct and quick. It is definite advice. But by linking it with ‘maybe’ it undercuts any sense of arrogance or sale push.

It is allows TUTC holiday to be introduced within a context rather than feel bolted on.

7 The personalised option is presented simply, underlining your skill and capability. The call to action is active, personal with ‘call me’ and direct.

Perfect for adventurers,3 photographers and trekking enthusiasts, the pristine, myth-laden landscape of Chilean Patagonia has been called ‘the end of the world.

With shimmering lakes, snow-capped mountains, wooden lodges and breathtaking waterfalls4, I’m sure more people will soon be flocking5 to this region. I’d visit now, maybe with our6 11-night ‘Highlights of Chile’ itinerary which includes Torres Del Paine. 7Equally, we can tailor-make your own personalised trip.

Just call me to find out more on 020 3582 9235.

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WEBSITE

WHY CHOOSE US – BEFORE NOTES WHY CHOOSE US? The experience is everything. Why choose The Ultimate Travel Company?

Because we use our experience to create yours.

So whether you want to commune with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, or cruise past cathedral-sized icebergs in the Arctic, or take a private tour through Europe’s most prestigious art galleries… we can arrange it. Perfectly. Down to the last detail. Because we’ve already experienced it ourselves.

Which means that talking to one of our 40 specialists about a destination is like knowing someone who lives there. We’ll show you the places you’d never have found without our inside knowledge; the secret beaches, the real culture, the restaurants the locals use.

But we don’t just help you realise your dream itinerary or tailor-make a dream journey for you. We’re also in daily touch with our regional partners across the world. People who have the professionalism and local knowledge to guide on the ground; making sure your holiday is the ultimate travel experience.

WHY CHOOSE US – AFTER WHY CHOOSE US? The experience is everything. Why choose The Ultimate Travel Company?

Because we use our experience to create yours.

So whether you want to commune with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, or cruise past cathedral-sized icebergs in the Arctic, or take a private tour through Europe’s most prestigious art galleries… we can arrange it. Perfectly. Down to the last detail. Because we’ve already experienced it ourselves.

Which means that talking to any 1 of our 40 specialists about a destination is like knowing someone who lives there. We’ll show you the places you’d never find 2 without our inside knowledge; the secret beaches, the real culture, the restaurants the locals use.

But we don’t just help realise your dream itinerary or journey for you. 3 We’re also in daily touch with our regional partners across the world. People with 4 the professionalism and local knowledge to guide you 5 on the ground; making sure your holiday is the ultimate travel experience.

9 2 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

1 ‘Any’ is more expansive and attractive than ‘one’.

2 ‘You’d never find’ is forward looking and direct.

3 This removes the padding and makes it a quicker introduction into the next paragraph.

4 ‘With’ is quicker and stronger than ‘who have’.

5 ‘You’ here is vital – because you is what the ultimate experience is all about.

WEBSITE G O L D E N PA R A G R A P H WELCOME TO A WHOLE WORLD OF EXPERIENCE. Wherever you want to go and whatever way you prefer to travel, whether you already know the destination or are looking for fresh ideas to inspire you further, we’re here to help.

Accomplished, hands-on and welcoming, we create unforgettable luxury experiences because we know how rewarding travel can be.

With our famously attentive and informed service we make it our absolute priority to deliver faultless experiences for people who love to travel.

This is why we have won multiple awards over the years and so many people choose to travel with us again and again.

We are the Ultimate Travel Company for a reason.

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GETTING T H E D E TA I L S C O N S I S T E N T LY RIGHT

9 4 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

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W E H AV E O U T L I N E D THE PRINCIPLES T H AT C R E AT E O U R D I S T I N C T I V E TO N E O F VO I C E THE RULES CONCERNING STYLE, GRAMMAR AND P U N C T U AT I O N G I V E N H E R E A R E N O T I N T H E M S E LV E S O U R V O I C E B U T H E L P T O C R E AT E I T. I N C O R R E C T, D U L L O R L A Z Y L A N G U A G E U N D E R M I N E S W H AT W E H AV E T O S AY. S O T H E S E R U L E S G O V E R N H O W Y O U W R I T E C O N S I S T E N T LY A N D C O R R E C T LY A C R O S S A L L A P P L I C AT I O N S . A H A N D Y C H E C K L I S T F O R W R I T E R S I S A L S O I N C L U D E D AT T H E E N D .

9 6 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

A B B R E V I AT I O N S

ACRONYMS AND INITIALS

APOSTROPHES

To make everything easy to read, use abbreviations as little as possible.

In most cases they’re easily avoided.

Acronyms are pronounceable words created from the initials of other words, like NATO.

postrophes are used to indicate a A missing letter or letters or possession but not plurals.

– In the rare cases where you can’t avoid them, never use abbreviations or acronyms without previous explanation or context.

– Don’t use full stops between the letters of an acronym or after the last letter unless the acronym ends a sentence as above.

– Members’ points are points belonging to all members.

– To avoid the confetti effect with dots sprinkled all across the page, avoid punctuating abbreviations. So 100 mph rather than 100 m.p.h. Though it’s best written in full: 100 miles per hour.

– Never use acronyms unless they’re widely understood by your readers.

– There are traditional exceptions such as St. and Prof. Though both are again best written in full.

– However, common abbreviated titles such as Mr and Mrs and Dr are never punctuated.

– Latin abbreviations such as eg, etc and ie are best avoided.

– Contractions like T&Cs are not punctuated but also best avoided.

– When an abbreviation comes at the end of a sentence, only one full stop is used.

– Initials are shorthand for organisations such as the BBC, UN, ABTA, IMF, ATOL. – As with acronyms, only use if they’re widely understood and do not punctuate between letters.

A C T I V E V S . PA S S I V E Wherever possible, use the active we advise not it is advised that.

The active is quicker and better to read.

– Adjectives, nouns and verbs: Correct usage – At the simplest level: An adjective gives us more information about a noun.

– A noun names people, animals, places, things and abstract ideas.

– Member’s points are points belonging to one member.

– The famous issue about apostrophes is this: – its for possessive singular it’s short for it is – Its (possessive) e.g. ‘its booking reference’ – It’s (it is) e.g. ‘it’s easy to register your points’ – Singular words have the possessive ending Pandora’s Box – Plural nouns that do not end with S add one and an apostrophe – children’s games.

– Possessive plurals in words ending in S follow this form: stakeholders’ investments.

– The possessive in names ending in S may also have an apostrophe and add an extra s, as in Jones’s.

– A verb describes an action.

– Time periods follow this form: The 90’s, the 80’s.

– Don’t mix these up. Apart from being ugly, it often obscures meaning.

– No apostrophe is needed for plural abbreviations.

– We don’t loan (noun) money, we lend (verb) it.

– Not every plural requires an apostrophe: peas, theirs.

– We should have a talk (verb), we never interface (noun).

– Time periods can be tricky. Where the time period modifies a noun it is two days’ time.

– We don’t have a meet (verb) when we’re really having a meeting (noun).

– Substituting nouns, verbs and adjectives is partly responsible for the stilted and self-important jargon we hear.

– Where the time period is adverbial by modifying an adjective, it is three weeks old.

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3.3 HOUSE STYLE WRITING GUIDE

BRACKETS

C A P I TA L L E T T E R S

CLICHÉ AND JARGON

Round brackets or parentheses are used mainly to introduce an interruption, rather like a pair of n-dashes or a pair of commas.

Capital letters make a point. They signal significance. The first letters of names and surnames are capital.

Nothing dates your writing as quickly as cliché, nor so completely undermines the intelligence of what you’re saying.

Avoid it.

– Note that, unlike commas or n-dashes, brackets give the impression that the copy they enclose is of lesser importance. If this is not your intention, don’t use them.

– Brackets are also used to provide an alternative spelling, or to represent options.

– Square brackets are used to insert an interruption within a direct quotation.

– In combination with the ellipsis (…) they are used to indicate that part of the original quote has been dropped.

– Brand names and company names start with a capital: Hoover, Biro, Google.

– Days and months start with a capital.

– Public and religious holidays start with capitals: Easter Monday, Hanukkah.

– Countries and geographical areas are in capitals – Southern Europe and North America.

– Whereas, compass points within text are lower case: north, south, east and west.

– The only jargon that’s acceptable is anything in widespread and accepted use within an industry, group of people or business. Sparing use of it then shows we’re informed. Over use of it is the verbal equivalent of your Dad dancing.

COMMAS

– Cities and towns start Paris, London, Brussels.

Commas can signal short pauses to clarify clauses:

– They have Browns Hotel and the Eiffel Tower.

– Cars should turn right here, whilst vans should turn left.

– Countries will have the River Nile and the Nile River basin. Here the capitals help point out what’s the centre of attention in the sentence, so: The River Nile is the father of African rivers and the longest river in the world.

– Most commas though are unnecessary.

This is clearer and better to read: Cars should turn right here. Vans should turn left.

– Within text do not use capitals TO ADD EMPHASIS. The content of your writing should be enough to do that.

We have clients not customers but should only use ‘client’ in internal communications.

CASE

– For external communications we use the personal you, yours, ours. If we are on first name terms, use them.

Use sentence case rather than title case wherever possible.

– Never attempt to add impact or emphasis to your writing by using capitals. It’s the equivalent of shouting and just as ineffective.

9 8 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

– Any kind of management speak will alienate our audience, even if they’re travelling on business.

CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS

– In general, hotels have guests, airlines have passengers and shops have customers, so it is best to avoid such terms.

– If we want a generic term as an alternative to clients, ‘travellers’ is fine, but don’t mix that and ‘clients’ within a single piece.

COLONS AND SEMI-COLONS

D AT E S

EMPHASIS

Introduce a quote, a list, a clarification or expansion, an idea or a summary with a colon.

Dates are always written in the day-month-year format, and the month is written in full: 18 March 2014.

– A colon is never preceded by a white space in English, but is always followed by a single white space except when writing ratios 4:1 or times 21:45.

– Please don’t use any of the following incorrect examples: 13/03/04; 13 March ’04; 13th March 2004; 13th March 2004; March 13, 2004.

Don’t use typographical tricks to compensate for poor writing. Underlining, using bold, italics or capital letters don’t add emphasis to your point or make it any more interesting. Good writing makes it more interesting.

– Never follow a colon with a hyphen.

– It is not normally followed by a capital letter.

– Do not use a colon (or any other punctuation mark) at the end of a heading.

– Semi-colons indicate a longer pause than a comma and can replace words like or, and, but and while. In time terms, a semi-colon is used when a comma is too short a full stop too long.

– Semi-colons also provide clarity in long lists. Many writers also use semi-colons to link two halves of a long sentence. We prefer a full stop and separating them.

DEFINITE ARTICLE (THE) Leaving out the not only changes your meaning, it’s often the quickest way to make your writing sound like jargon.

– If the surveys are right means something different to if surveys are right and the difference is important.

One is a reference to specific surveys carried out – say on behalf of Eurostar – and the other is a general reference to all surveys, which undermines the authority of the statement.

EMAIL AND SIGN-OFF

We work in Sterling so use the £ symbol.

Although it’s grammatically correct to write e-mail with a hyphen, we’ve chosen for the (also correct) version email without a hyphen as our The Ultimate Travel Company house style.

– Where it’s relevant we use the local currency and appropriate symbol.

– In writing email replies to clients, be professional but friendly.

– Placement is £50.

– So yours faithfully is too formal but best wishes just right.

CURRENCY

– Spell out million and billion.

– When referring to the euro be aware that the singular and plural are the same – it’s euro not euros. Unlike other currencies, it is also lower case.

– Avoid all the best and cheers.

They’re too informal.

E X C L A M AT I O N M A R K S We don’t use them.

FULL STOPS The full stop goes inside quote marks but outside brackets if they end the sentence. If a full sentence is within brackets the full stop is also inside.

Full stops are not necessary when sentences end with a question mark.

HOURS For simplicity, we use the 24-hour clock.

The first nine hours are preceded with a zero: 08:15, 12:30, 20:15.

– Never add am or pm.

– Never use a single point or run the figures together.

– Always punctuate the figures, so 15:30.

– All these are unacceptable: 08.15; 8:15; 1230; 8:15pm.

– For journey times the only acceptable abbreviated form is 15 hrs 30 min.

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HYPHEN AND N-DASH An n-dash [–] is noticeably longer than a hyphen [-].

– Unlike the hyphen the n-dash requires a half space before and after.

MEASUREMENTS – But watch the few exceptions: antibiotic, nonconformist, neoclassicism.

– Never use a hyphen after an adverb that ends in –ly. So slowly moving vehicle, utterly useless idea.

– A pair of n-dashes is used to divide an interruption from the rest of a sentence where brackets would render the ‘interruption’ too unimportant or incidental and commas would be too messy.

– Insert hyphens between adjectives formed by two or more words when they precede the noun: private-sector wages, value-added tax.

– The n-dash is never used in place of a hyphen, after a colon or after a heading.

– And with two words that, when linked, describe a noun: agreed-upon sum, three-dimensional object.

– When the n-dash falls between the end of one line and the beginning of the next, please ensure that it appears at the end of the first line.

– Don’t use a hyphen for adjectives formed by two words after the noun: the woman is well dressed, but she’s the well-dressed woman.

– Fundamentally, the hyphen is a joiner.

– Hyphens are also used in new word blends: cancer-causing, cost-effective.

– Hyphens clarify the use of a prefix.

As in re-covering an umbrella but recovering from an illness.

– Hyphens also clarify meaning – twenty odd people as opposed to twenty-odd people.

– Arguably, our most common issue with hyphen use is adding them where they’re not needed. So it is an orangutan not orang-utan, it is South East Asia and elsewhere not else-where.

– Hyphens are always used with fractions, whether nouns or adjectives: two-thirds, one-sixth, five-eighths.

– Hyphenate all compound numbers from twenty-one through to ninety-nine.

– Most words that begin with anti, non and neo are hyphenated: anti-establishment, non-payment, neo-conservative.

1 0 0 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

Do not use full stops in abbreviations of measurements, they are: km, kg.

– Always write them in lower case and never mix cases. These are wrong: KM, Km – Use the standard abbreviation of hrs, min and sec for hours, minutes and seconds.

– Follow the convention for speed, so it is mph and km/h but not kph or kp/h.

NAME We are The Ultimate Travel Company.

We don’t drop the ‘The’.

NUMBERS

– A word of caution here, be careful of jargon with new word blends.

Numerals from 1 to 20 are written in full, as well as hundred, thousand, multiples of ten, hundred and thousand, million and billion.

– A hyphen must never be used with spaces on both sides.

– All other numerals in copy are written in digits.

– When used to indicate that a long word has been broken off at the end of a line this is more typographic than grammatical. This should be avoided whenever possible.

There are some exceptions:

I TA L I C S As a rule, italics shouldn’t be used to add emphasis. Very, very occasionally are they effective.

– Always use italics to refer to the name of a publication: The Great Gatsby.

– Italicise when using a foreign phrase or word within an English sentence.

– Detailed, precise financial data.

– In combination with an abbreviation, for example 6000 km.

– For consistency when both numerals in words and in digits appear in the same sentence or paragraph.

So it is: The plane with 200 seats travelling at 400 miles per hour.

It is not: The plane with two hundred seats travelling at 400 miles per hour.

– When a lot of figures are used successively in a small amount of copy.

– If a sentence starts with a number, spell it out.

– Many disagree over if it should be per cent or %. For simplicity we use % but make sure you are consistent with it.

– When million and billion are used, words and figures can be mixed: 5 million, 15 billion.

ORDINALS Ordinals can be used as first, second, third or 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

– However, avoid using 1st and 2nd when referring to travel classes.

It is First Class.

PLURAL In most cases, adding ‘s’ to the singular form of the noun creates the plural.

So cat into cats and horse into horses.

Take care when the noun can be either singular and plural or have an ‘s’ added as in giraffe and giraffes and lion or lions. Here the important factor is to be consistent.

Q U O TAT I O N M A R K S

T H AT A N D T H E R E

Our style prefers the usage of double quotation marks to enclose a direct quotation.

There is and there are and that are usually pointless: there are three areas of concern that need our attention is slow and clumsy in comparison to three areas of concern need our attention.

– Single quotes are mainly used for ironic usage, quotations or to indicate a specialist term.

– Please use single quotes sparingly.

Some more traditional publications like to use single quotes to refer to a title of a book, newspaper, titles of films and so on, but the more modern custom is to write these in italics.

SPELLING AND SPELL CHECK Use UK spelling when writing in English. Names are the only exception.

– Set your spell check to UK. Use it as a quick alternative to a dictionary, but always read through your work afterwards. Don’t let spell check become the editor of your work.

It’s a machine, it doesn’t know better than you.

– Invest in a good dictionary – it will improve your writing.

TELEPHONE

P U N C T U AT I O N

Don’t use dots or dashes.

It’s a common mistake to over-punctuate thinking that it will help to make what you write more understandable.

Spacing is as follows:

– That was nineteen clear words without punctuation to make the point.

+44 (0)20 1234 5678 (+44 and brackets are added when published in international literature)

– Be sparing with punctuation. Too much makes things difficult to read.

T H AT A N D W H I C H That is used for a defining clause (never with commas round the clause): the gun that was used to shoot the man was found in the street.

Which is used for a non-defining clause (giving additional information, between commas): the gun, which is my most treasured possession, was found in the street.

T I T L E : C O N S U LTA N T S Most companies in our sector use the term ‘experts’ which is fine but expected. To reflect the added level of interactive service we provide, use ‘consultants’

WEBSITE www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk

UK London (020) numbers 020 1234 5678

UK non-London numbers 01234 56 78 90 +44 (0)1234 56 78 90 (+44 and brackets are added when published in international literature)

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3.3 HOUSE STYLE WRITING GUIDE

TEN TIPS FOR WRITERS. W H E N E V E R YO U ’ R E W R I T I N G, K E E P T H E FOLLOWING IN MIND F E W F I R S T D R A F T S A R E P E R F E C T. R E - W R I T I N G IS WHERE GOOD WRITERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. G O O D W R I T I N G S O U N D S L I K E G O O D C O N V E R S AT I O N .

I T H A S C H A N G E S O F PA C E , I T ’ S C L E A R , I T H A S A R E C O G N I S A B L E T O N E A N D I T M A K E S P O I N T S S I M P LY. REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE – ARE YOU TELLING T H E M W H AT T H E Y N E E D T O K N O W ?

R E A D W H AT Y O U W R I T E A L O U D . I F I T S O U N D S D U L L TO YOU, THEN IT WILL BE DULL FOR YOUR AUDIENCE. R E - W R I T E I T.

1 0 2 T H E U LT I M AT E T R AV E L C O M PA N Y

1 BE PERSONAL NOT IMPERSONAL

2 N E V E R U S E T H E PA S S I V E W H E N YOU CAN USE THE ACTIVE

3 U S E E V E RY D AY L A N G U A G E

4 KEEP ADVERBS AND ADJECTIVES TO A MINIMUM – IT’S MORE EFFECTIVE

5 VA RY T H E L E N G T H O F S E N T E N C E S F O R T E X T U R E A N D PA C E – B U T AV O I D S E N T E N C E S OVER 25 WORDS AND BELOW THREE

6 NEVER USE WORDS WHOSE MEANING YOU ARE NOT SURE OF

7 B E A C C U R AT E W I T H Y O U R F A C T S – IT’S MORE CONVINCING

8 DON’T OVER EXPLAIN. IF IT’S NOT CLEAR THE F I R S T T I M E , R E - W R I T E R AT H E R T H A N A D D

9 D O N ’ T O V E R P U N C T U AT E . T O O M U C H C O N F U S E S A N D S L O W S T H E PA C E D O W N

10 MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT – C U T O U T A N Y V E R B A L PA D D I N G

VERBAL IDENTITY 103

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